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Mr. Big enjoying the sun on De Poezenboot
If cats don’t like water, you wouldn’t know it from a group of felines who make their home living on it. Meet the Dutch cats who live on a barge – more officially know as De Poezenboot or The Cat Boat – a sanctuary for cats right on Amsterdam’s Singel Canals, one of inner-most canals in the city’s semicircular ring of canals. Among animal lovers, De Poezenboot may be as popular, if not more, than Amsterdam’s Anne Frank House, the National Rijksmuseum or even the city’s famous red light district.
According to the organization’s Website, De Poezenboot got its start back in 1966 when Henriette van Weelde, an Amsterdam resident, found a family of stray cats. She took them in and soon she was caring for other stray cats. When her own house became too small for all the cats in her care, she got the idea that a sailing barge could do equally well to accommodate the cats and in 1968 acquired one. By 1979, the barge was retired for a Dutch houseboat, specifically outfitted to accommodate the cats. In 1987, Stichting de Poezenboot - the Cat Boat Foundation became an official registered charity
De Poezenboot on the Singel Canal
Judith Gobets, who manages the sanctuary, explained via an email interview that today some 50 cats live on the boat. Not all come from Amsterdam.
*People bring cats to us from other provinces all the time because they like the way we work and have faith in us,” Gobets said, “We hardly ever refuse a cat unless it is very sick. Sometimes people have to wait for a week or so until we have room, and then they can bring the cat. We are always very busy in the summer time. But we do find homes for most of them, too, because people also like to take a cat from us.
“We also have cats that are not used to homes,” she added. “We try to make them more social but if that does not work they can stay if they are happy with us.”
Dinnertime on De Poezenboot
At De Poezenboot, the cats are not confined to cages but move about freely. During the day, shelter workers are on hand to care for the cats and attend to the many visitors. “At night the cats are alone, and they can do what they want, Gobets said. “A lot of them want to have time to do their own thing without us,” she added, punctuating her comment with the universal Internet smile sign.
If you have the good fortune to visit Amsterdam, do take time to visit De Poezenboot at Singel
38 G, Amsterdam 1015 AB. Visiting hours are daily between 1 and 3 p.m. except on Wednesday and Sunday. Though Gobets explained you will find staff on special holidays even if they fall on a Sunday. Also if you would like to make a donation to help De Poezenboot cats, you can send it via bank transfer to ING bank, Postbus 1800, 1000 BV Amsterdam, Nederland.
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